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Shang Q, Liu W, Leslie F, Yang J, Guo M, Sun M, Zhang G, Zhang Q, Wang F. Nano-formulated delivery of active ingredients from traditional Chinese herbal medicines for cancer immunotherapy. Acta Pharm Sin B 2024; 14:1525-1541. [PMID: 38572106 PMCID: PMC10985040 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has garnered promise in tumor progression, invasion, and metastasis through establishing durable and memorable immunological activity. However, low response rates, adverse side effects, and high costs compromise the additional benefits for patients treated with current chemical and biological agents. Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) are a potential treasure trove of natural medicines and are gaining momentum in cancer immunomodulation with multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway characteristics. The active ingredient extracted from CHMs benefit generalized patients through modulating immune response mechanisms. Additionally, the introduction of nanotechnology has greatly improved the pharmacological qualities of active ingredients through increasing the hydrophilicity, stability, permeability, and targeting characteristics, further enhancing anti-cancer immunity. In this review, we summarize the mechanism of active ingredients for cancer immunomodulation, highlight nano-formulated deliveries of active ingredients for cancer immunotherapy, and provide insights into the future applications in the emerging field of nano-formulated active ingredients of CHMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Shang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Wandong Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
- Key Laboratory of Blood-stasis-toxin Syndrome of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Faith Leslie
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering, the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Jiapei Yang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Mingmei Guo
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Mingjiao Sun
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering, the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Guangji Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
- Key Laboratory of Blood-stasis-toxin Syndrome of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310053, China
- Traditional Chinese Medicine “Preventing Disease” Wisdom Health Project Research Center of Zhejiang, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Feihu Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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Li D, Cao D, Sun Y, Cui Y, Zhang Y, Jiang J, Cao X. The roles of epigallocatechin gallate in the tumor microenvironment, metabolic reprogramming, and immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1331641. [PMID: 38348027 PMCID: PMC10859531 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1331641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer, a disease that modern medicine has not fully understood and conquered, with its high incidence and mortality, deprives countless patients of health and even life. According to global cancer statistics, there were an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases and nearly 10 million cancer deaths in 2020, with the age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of 201.0 and 100.7 per 100,000, respectively. Although remarkable advancements have been made in therapeutic strategies recently, the overall prognosis of cancer patients remains not optimistic. Consequently, there are still many severe challenges to be faced and difficult problems to be solved in cancer therapy today. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a natural polyphenol extracted from tea leaves, has received much attention for its antitumor effects. Accumulating investigations have confirmed that EGCG can inhibit tumorigenesis and progression by triggering apoptosis, suppressing proliferation, invasion, and migration, altering tumor epigenetic modification, and overcoming chemotherapy resistance. Nevertheless, its regulatory roles and biomolecular mechanisms in the immune microenvironment, metabolic microenvironment, and immunotherapy remain obscure. In this article, we summarized the most recent updates about the effects of EGCG on tumor microenvironment (TME), metabolic reprogramming, and anti-cancer immunotherapy. The results demonstrated EGCG can promote the anti-cancer immune response of cytotoxic lymphocytes and dendritic cells (DCs), attenuate the immunosuppression of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs), and inhibit the tumor-promoting functions of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs), and various stromal cells including cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), endothelial cells (ECs), stellate cells, and mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs). Additionally, EGCG can suppress multiple metabolic reprogramming pathways, including glucose uptake, aerobic glycolysis, glutamine metabolism, fatty acid anabolism, and nucleotide synthesis. Finally, EGCG, as an immunomodulator and immune checkpoint blockade, can enhance immunotherapeutic efficacy and may be a promising candidate for antitumor immunotherapy. In conclusion, EGCG plays versatile regulatory roles in TME and metabolic reprogramming, which provides novel insights and combined therapeutic strategies for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongming Li
- Department of Gastric and Colorectal Surgery, General Surgery Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Donghui Cao
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yuanlin Sun
- Department of Gastric and Colorectal Surgery, General Surgery Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yingnan Cui
- Department of Gastric and Colorectal Surgery, General Surgery Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yangyu Zhang
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jing Jiang
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xueyuan Cao
- Department of Gastric and Colorectal Surgery, General Surgery Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Dang BTN, Kwon TK, Lee S, Jeong JH, Yook S. Nanoparticle-based immunoengineering strategies for enhancing cancer immunotherapy. J Control Release 2024; 365:773-800. [PMID: 38081328 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is a groundbreaking strategy that has revolutionized the field of oncology compared to other therapeutic strategies, such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy. However, cancer complexity, tumor heterogeneity, and immune escape have become the main hurdles to the clinical application of immunotherapy. Moreover, conventional immunotherapies cause many harmful side effects owing to hyperreactivity in patients, long treatment durations and expensive cost. Nanotechnology is considered a transformative approach that enhances the potency of immunotherapy by capitalizing on the superior physicochemical properties of nanocarriers, creating highly targeted tissue delivery systems. These advantageous features include a substantial specific surface area, which enhances the interaction with the immune system. In addition, the capability to finely modify surface chemistry enables the achievement of controlled and sustained release properties. These advances have significantly increased the potential of immunotherapy, making it more powerful than ever before. In this review, we introduce recent nanocarriers for application in cancer immunotherapy based on strategies that target different main immune cells, including T cells, dendritic cells, natural killer cells, and tumor-associated macrophages. We also provide an overview of the role and significance of nanotechnology in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Taeg Kyu Kwon
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Keimyung University, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea
| | - Sooyeun Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea
| | - Jee-Heon Jeong
- Department of Precision Medicine, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea.
| | - Simmyung Yook
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea.
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Xiang J, Liu K, Xu H, Zhao Z, Piao Y, Shao S, Tang J, Shen Y, Zhou Z. Dual Synergistic Tumor-Specific Polymeric Nanoparticles for Efficient Chemo-Immunotherapy. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2301216. [PMID: 37551065 PMCID: PMC10582463 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202301216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Chemo-immunotherapy has made significant progress in cancer treatment. However, the cancer cell self-defense mechanisms, including cell cycle checkpoint and programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) upregulation, have greatly hindered the therapeutic efficacy. Herein, norcantharidin (NCTD)-platinum (Pt) codelivery nanoparticles (NC-NP) with tumor-sensitive release profiles are designed to overcome the self-defense mechanisms via synergistic chemo-immunotherapy. NC-NP remains stable under normal physiological conditions but quickly releases 1,2-diaminocyclohexane-platinum(II) (DACHPt, a parent drug of oxaliplatin) and NCTD in response to the tumor acidity. NCTD inhibits protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity to relieve cell cycle arrest and downregulates the tumor PD-L1 expression to disrupt the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 interaction, synergistically enhancing Pt-based chemotherapy and immunogenic cell death-induced immunotherapy. As a result, NC-NP exhibits potent synergistic cytotoxicity and promotes T cell recruitment to generate robust antitumor immune responses. The dual synergism exhibits potent antitumor activity against orthotopic 4T1 tumors, providing a promising chemo-immunotherapy paradigm for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Xiang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of EducationCollege of Chemical and Biological EngineeringZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310027China
- ZJU‐Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhou311215China
| | - Kexin Liu
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of EducationCollege of Chemical and Biological EngineeringZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310027China
| | - Hongxia Xu
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of EducationCollege of Chemical and Biological EngineeringZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310027China
| | - Zhihao Zhao
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of EducationCollege of Chemical and Biological EngineeringZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310027China
| | - Ying Piao
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of EducationCollege of Chemical and Biological EngineeringZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310027China
| | - Shiqun Shao
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of EducationCollege of Chemical and Biological EngineeringZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310027China
- ZJU‐Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhou311215China
| | - Jianbin Tang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of EducationCollege of Chemical and Biological EngineeringZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310027China
- ZJU‐Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhou311215China
| | - Youqing Shen
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of EducationCollege of Chemical and Biological EngineeringZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310027China
| | - Zhuxian Zhou
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of EducationCollege of Chemical and Biological EngineeringZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310027China
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Wang L, Li P, Feng K. EGCG adjuvant chemotherapy: Current status and future perspectives. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 250:115197. [PMID: 36780831 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
The resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs greatly reduces the therapeutic effect in cancer patients, and the toxic side effects caused by chemotherapy also seriously affect the quality of life of patients. The combination of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the main active ingredient in tea, with cisplatin, 5-FU, doxorubicin and paclitaxel enhances their sensitizing effect on tumors and combats the drug resistance of cancer cells. These effects seem to be mediated by a variety of mechanisms, including combating drug resistance mediated by cancer stem cells, enhancing drug sensitivity, inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and blocking angiogenesis. In addition, EGCG can suppress a series of adverse effects caused by chemotherapy, such as gastrointestinal disorders, nephrotoxicity and cardiotoxicity, through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and improve the quality of life of patients. However, the low bioavailability and off-target effects of EGCG and its reactivity with some chemotherapeutic agents limit its clinical application. The nanomodification of EGCG and chemotherapeutic drugs not only enhances the antitumor activity but also prolongs the survival time of tumor-bearing mice, and has the advantage of low toxicity. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the current status and challenges regarding the use of EGCG in combination with chemotherapy drugs in the treatment of cancer. In general, EGCG is a promising adjuvant for chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wang
- Pingshan District People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Pingshan General Hospital of Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China
| | - Penghui Li
- Center for Health Research, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, Guangdong, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kun Feng
- Pingshan District People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Pingshan General Hospital of Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China.
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Jia W, Zhou L, Li L, Zhou P, Shen Z. Nano-Based Drug Delivery of Polyphenolic Compounds for Cancer Treatment: Progress, Opportunities, and Challenges. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16010101. [PMID: 36678599 PMCID: PMC9865384 DOI: 10.3390/ph16010101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyphenols and their derivates, a kind of natural product distributed in herb plants, vegetables, and fruits, are the most abundant antioxidants in the human diet and have been found to display cancer-preventative effects in several epidemiological studies. The scientific community has also validated the anti-cancer bioactivities and low toxicities of polyphenolic compounds, including flavones, tannins, phenolic acids, and anthocyanins, through in vitro and in vivo studies. However, the low stability, weak targeting ability, poor solubility, and low bioavailability of pure polyphenolic agents have significantly impaired their treatment efficacy. Nowadays, nano-based technology has been applied to surmount these restrictions and maximize the treatment efficacy of polyphenols. In this review, we summarize the advantages and related mechanisms of polyphenols in cancer treatment. Moreover, aiming at the poor solubility and low bioavailability of pure polyphenols in vivo, the advantages of nano-based delivery systems and recent research developments are highlighted. Herein, particular emphasis is mainly placed on the most widely used nanomaterials in the delivery of natural products, including liposomes, micelles, and nanogels. Finally, we present an overview and the challenges of future implementations of nano-based delivery systems of polyphenolic compounds in the cancer therapeutic field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhui Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Lei Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Ping Zhou
- Department of Radiotherapy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
- Correspondence: (P.Z.); (Z.S.)
| | - Zhisen Shen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, The Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
- Correspondence: (P.Z.); (Z.S.)
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